Err, I make ‘non-stop, hip-hop, folk-rock, technicolour melody music’ (or that’s what I’m referring to it as for now – LOL! Ask me next month and I might be writing ‘Country & Western Death Metal’ or something … though I doubt it – does ‘C&WDM’ even exist as a genre??! If it doesn’t, well it should!) As a writer, I just tend to write about whatever floating my boat at any given time really. At the moment I admit to being rather heavily influenced by those great ‘old-timer’ songwriters such as: Burt Bacharach of ‘The Burt Bacharach Experience!’ & Brian Wilson of ‘The Beach Boys’, obviously! (Not that I’m fit to lick their boots as a songwriter myself mind, but there’s no harm to be had from trying to dissect their craft if only to try and catch a glimpse of an insight as to how they made their magic…. and hope that some of that fairy dust might rub off in the process! Man, those ol’ guys could write a killer melody or three that’s for sure!)

3. When did you start and what made you want to start making music?

I got given a crappy guitar (with only four strings on it!) when I was about 12 and never looked back – LOL! I’m still that kid (just a bigger kid nowadays!) and I’m still as excited about music as I was in my ‘yoof’, if not more so! Also, I’m STILL playing around on crappy instruments (some of which still don’t have the correct number of strings!) Just anything I can lay my hands on really in order to coax a tune.

4. Stage or studio?

I used to be fairly active on the ‘open mic’ scene many moons ago when I lived In Edinburgh but since moving north to the spectacularly named ‘Kingdom Of Fife’ (still can’t believe I live in ‘a Kingdom’!) over a decade ago now, I appear to have somehow metamorphosed into one of those strange, sad, old hermit-like ‘studio musicians’! Very occasionally I crawl out from beneath my rock …. like now, to do this interview in fact but, most of the time, I’m cooped up in a dark, window-less garage (potential next question: ‘So SUPER 8 are ‘a garage band’?) just trying to perfect my latest pocket symphony to whoever might happen to stumble across it on the interwebz. Rock’n’Roll eh?

5. What gear do you use to make your tunes?

Like I say, anything to hand really. I’m really digging the kazoo right now! Most of my gear is old & pretty beat up to be honest. To date (well, all my life really!) music has never afforded me an income to be able to buy decent gear so I just try to make music & make do with random stuff I get ‘for a song’ (see what I did there?) on the second-hand market. I realise this probably isn’t what you’re wanting me to put here what with you being a music store selling lots of lovely, shiny, expensive new gear an’ all that and, had I the money, I’d probably pay you a visit sometime and actually BUY something, but sadly money to buy decent gear is something I never seem to have. That said, on sporadic visits back to ‘Auld Reekie’ (that’s Edinburgh to the locals for anyone reading this ‘darn saff’!), it has been known for me to visit your store in Ye Olde Grassmarket and gaze longingly through your shop window on occasion. By the way, if you ever happen to get a ‘60s-era Fender Jazzmaster in that you’d be prepared to sell me for £50 please don’t hesitate to get in touch! I’ve always fancied one of them.

6. And what is your choice bit of gear and why?

Probably my Fender Telecaster. It’s the only bit of gear I have that’s actually worth anything I think but, saying that, I wouldn’t sell it! (In fact you’d need to prize it from my cold dead hands, I love the thing!) That said, 95% of the tunes I write, I write on a beat up old acoustic that I found in a skip one time – I love that too!

7. Where can we check out your tunes?

Well, at time of writing I’m currently holding the No.1 spot on this here Reverbnation chart. (although, by the time this goes to print I’ll have no doubt dropped out of the Top 40!) [nope, you’re at #11, pretty good!] Plus, a US (Detroit-based) independent record label called Futureman Records have just released my debut album entitled: “T-T-T-Technicolour Melodies!” Releasing this record isn’t gonna pay the rent but “Hey!” it’s not about the money is it? (Or it shouldn’t be anyway!) Nah, bottom-line: I just dig making music! It’s something I’ve always done & something I’ll just always do I guess! If you fancy checking out my debut album on Futureman you’ll find it here.

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Red Dog Music is the UK’s friendliest musical instrument and pro-audio dealer. Between our 5000 square foot Edinburgh shop filled with an incredible range of products, a spectacular shop in Leeds, and a London showroom in Clapham specialising in high-end instruments, dj and pro-audio, Red Dog Music has you covered from north to south and from performance to playback.